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As mourners the world over show their respects on the passing of Nelson Mandela, we take a look back at some of the most memorable words from South Africa’s first black president

Nelson Mandela, the iconic anti-apartheid leader and first democratically elected black president of South Africa, passed away on Thursday 5th December after a lengthy struggle with illness. He was 95 years old. Mourners around the world have paid tribute to a man known as much for his commitment to freedom as forgiveness. Mandela was an anti-apartheid revolutionary, one labelled a “terrorist” by British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, and placed on a terror watch list by US President Ronald Reagan. It would not be until 2008 that the American designation would be removed by a notably embarrassed US government, 15 years after Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

For his political activities with the African National Congress (ANC) he was arrested in 1962, tried in the Rivonia Trial and convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the South African government of the time. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and spent 27 years in jail. In 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the ANC was legalised and Mandela was unconditionally released, leaving prison to the welcome of jubilant crowds. Upon his release he professed his commitment to forgiveness, writing, “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”

Here, we remember the struggles and sacrifice of one of the greatest statesmen of modern times with a selection of 27 of his most memorable quotes, one for each year spent behind bars:

“We recall our terrible past so that we can deal with it, to forgive where forgiveness is necessary, without forgetting; to ensure that never again will such inhumanity tear us apart; and to move ourselves to eradicate a legacy that lurks dangerously as a threat to our democracy.”

“The time for the healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come. The time to build is upon us.”

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

““The UN took a strong stand against apartheid; and over the years, an international consensus was built, which helped to bring an end to this iniquitous system. But we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”

“The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

“To go to prison because of your convictions and be prepared to suffer for what you believe in, is something worthwhile. It is an achievement for a man to do his duty on earth irrespective of the consequences.”

“I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people.”

“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

“On this occasion, we thank the world community for their great contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle. Without your support our struggle would not have reached this advanced stage. The sacrifice of the frontline states will be remembered by South Africans forever.”

“Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way. Universal suffrage on a common voters’ role in a united democratic and non-racial South Africa is the only way to peace and racial harmony.”

“Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity.”

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

“Honour belongs to those who never forsake the truth even when things seem dark and grim, who try over and over again, who are never discouraged by insults, humiliation and even defeat.”

“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”

“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”

“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”

“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”

“Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.”

“We have learnt now that even those people with whom we fought the struggle against apartheid’s corruption can themselves become corrupted.”

“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”

“We accord persons dignity by assuming that they are good, that they share the human qualities we ascribe to ourselves.”

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

“Let the strivings of us all prove Martin Luther King Jr. to have been correct, when he said that humanity can no longer be tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war. Let the efforts of us all prove that he was not a mere dreamer when he spoke of the beauty of genuine brotherhood and peace being more precious than diamonds or silver or gold. Let a new age dawn.”

“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”

“Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world. Let freedom reign. The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement! God bless Africa!”

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